Remembering
by H Harmon
Summary: This is a story of memories. Harry and Hermione discuss the past events that brought them together and formed their lives. If you ignore the epilog, like I did, this story is slightly AU but is all HHR. I believe that the epilog should have gone this way
1. Chapter 1

Remembering

By H Harmon

Chapter #1:

**What almost wasn't!**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of the characters in the HP book series is owned by JKR. This story is for fun and no money is derived from it.**

As Hermione snuggled closer into Harry's chest she saw that faraway look in his eye, and after thinking for a few seconds she said "ya know I think about it quite often myself."

As Harry was not paying much attention he turned to her and asked "I'm sorry, what'd you say?"

Hermione giggled and replied, "I think about when we first got together also. I can't believe just how clueless we were."

That made Harry chuckle. "You know, if Ron hadn't gotten mad and left we might never have admitted how we truly felt for one another. I'm sometimes still amazed that you are in love with me. I'm the luckiest bloke in the world!" As he said that his mind wandered back to that night so long ago and he could see it all happening again….

* * *

><p>"Mione, please don't cry, you know how Ron is? Harry said as he sat down and held Hermione in his arms and let her cry on his shoulder. He'll come to his senses and come back to you."<p>

As her sobs subsided she said, while looking down to Harry's chest, "that isn't what I 'm crying about. Well not just that. It's just that he was right Harry; it is you and has always been you. I tried so hard and for so long for it not to be but I can't help it. I know that you could never feel that way about me, and that's OK because I'm happy to just be your friend, but as hard as I try I just can't feel that way about anyone else, not even Ron, even though I have tried. I'm sorry Harry I shouldn't be telling you all of this. I so don't want this to change our friendship. I couldn't bare my life without you in it! I am sorry I said anything."

They sat there quiet for a few minutes then Harry, who was lost in thought, felt Hermione begin to tremble slightly. This seemed to bring him out of his thoughts. He put his hand under her chin and pulled her face up to look at him. "Why would you think I could never feel that way for you, Mione?"

"I'm just your plain old bossy know-it-all pushy ugly muggleborn friend. I'm nothing like Cho or Ginny or any of the other hundreds of girls that you could have. I'm not stupid you know."

"Well in this case maybe you are. The only reason I even thought of those other girls was because I was sure someone as smart, confident, loyal, and beautiful as you would never want the likes of me. Mione, even though I didn't realize it until after Dumbledor's funeral I love you and I think that I have since that first day on the express. The first time I looked into your eyes, those chocolate orbs so confident, strong, and beautiful. While your friendship means everything to me, I didn't believe someone as wonderful as you would ever want me."

Harry took her face gently and pulled it to his and tenderly kissed her. When he pulled back and looked at her eyes they were still closed. He leaned down and kissed her again this time a bit more forceful and he could feel her kissing him back. As she deepened the kiss he slipped his tongue out to taste her lips and was pleased when she opened her lips to allow him entrance. As his tongue explored and tasted her he realized that she was doing the same to him. Harry reached up and fisted her hair while she threw her arms around his neck and both tried to pull each other closer. Finally, they both pulled back a bit needing air and look into each other's eyes.

With the look of love and joy in each set of eyes she whispered "I have and will always love you Harry Potter." When she said this both of them could feel warmth that could have only been love while they were enclosed in a brilliant pale gold aura. Neither of them understood what just happened, but neither of them cared as Harry turned Hermione and pulled her across his lap and began to kiss her with all of the passion that he had inside of him.

Then Harry said "no Mione this isn't a dream and you are already awake."

Hermione pulled back and asked "why did you just say that Harry?"

"I was just replying to your statement, why?"

"Harry, I didn't say anything, although I was thinking it."

"Mione, I clearly herd you say that if this is a dream please don't let me wake up."

"No Harry I do not think that you are crazy, but I did not say that out loud."

"What's going on Mione, how did you know what I was thinking?"

Then Hermione reached up and put her finger to Harry's lips and began to think _**"can you here this Harry? Just think about the answer if you can hear this, don't speak."**_

Harry got a shocked expression on his face before thinking _**"yes I hear you just fine, but you didn't say anything. If you didn't say anything then how could I hear it?"**_

"We can hear each other's thoughts, Harry. I'm not exactly sure why. I believe the only time that I have heard of this is between old married couples, but they are supposed to be soul mates or something."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, you know how everyone teases us about being connected, you know like when we know each other's feelings with just a look, or when we finish each other's sentences, or just know where each other is."

"Ya I know, it drives Ron mental, oh I'm sorry, go on Mione."

"Well if that is what it is then I believe that when we finally declared our feelings to each other we bound our souls together, you know that weird glow. If so that means we were meant to be with each other all the time like destiny. That's why we were always so close, and that's what we saw in each other's eyes on that first look on the express but we were too young to understand."

"Then what was that glow? And what does it mean?"

"I don't know for sure without research, but I believe that when we finally declared our feelings to each other somehow our magic bound together too. You hear people saying that they've found their soul mate all of the time, mostly girls really, but I believe that actual soul bonding is very, very rare."

"So now we share our magic?"

"Yes, Harry, but I think it'll be much, much more than that. I'll have to research it, but I think that while we are two people at some point we'll only be one person. Let's try an experiment, take your wand and call your patroness." Hermione turned and got off of Harry.

Harry pulled his wand and called "expecto patronum." A silvery light emitted from his wand and the biggest stag that he has ever seen materialized in front of them. "Now what?"

"Let it dissipate and give me your wand." Hermione took Harry's wand and turned and called "expecto patronum." Again a silvery light emitted from his wand and the stag was back and just as big.

"Wait a minute, how did you do that? Your patroness is an otter, isn't it?"

"I got a feeling it isn't any longer. Remember how Tonk's patroness changed, well I think maybe mine might too." she let the stag dissipate handing Harry's wand back to him. Then she took her wand and called "expecto patronum" another silvery light emitted from her wand and a big doe formed. Harry's mouth fell open. She let the doe dissipate and handed harry her wand. "Now you try it again only this time with my wand."

Harry took the wand and called "expecto patronum" another silvery light emitted from her wand and another big doe formed. He just stood there mouth open and not knowing what to say.

"See what I mean Harry? Have you known anyone that could call another person's patroness? Or even heard of someone using another's wand to even produce a patroness? That's what I meant by two people but one person." Harry fell back onto the divan and Hermione jumped up onto his lap smiling and putting her arms around him.

"Breath Harry, breath. This just means that we belong together and always have."

Harry pulled her to him and kissed her with all the passion that he had in him and she moaned into his mouth while kissing him back with the same passion.

After a few minutes they stopped and pulled apart. Harry, with a quizzical look on his face, asked "I know I love you and you love me, but what are we going to do with Ron and Ginny? I don't want to hurt them; so how do we tell them?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but this isn't the first time that Ron has ran out on you and hurt you, and he expected me to turn my back on you too, not to mention that he would hurt my feelings a couple of times a week. I'm not too worried about Ron, and for Ginny, you broke it off with her last spring. If they truly care about us they'll be happy for us. It is very rare to have a soul mate and even rarer to find them. If they're not understanding of that well that is their problem isn't it. I'm sure that they'll come around Harry."

"Ya, I guess your right as usual. It's just that the Weasley's have been the closest thing to a family that I have had except for you, and I don't want to hurt them, but I can't lose you."

"It will work itself out Harry just wait and see. I do Love you ya know."

"So, this means that we are together for the rest of our lives right?

"Well actually, longer than that. Our souls are bound forever, Harry."

"I still can't believe that you want me, Mione. As much as I've wanted you, I never thought that someone as perfect and beautiful as you would ever want me! And I was scared to tell you because I was afraid that it would mess up our friendship and I couldn't go on without you Mione, I just couldn't."

"Harry, you are everything a witch could want: You're handsome, brave, strong, smart, loyal, understanding, selfless, compassionate, and loving. Although, I still find it strange to here you say that about me. Harry, no one has ever called me beautiful before. I know that you liked me as a friend, even loved me as a friend or like a sister, but I never imagined that you would even consider someone like me romantically. I still can't believe we didn't see it. Look at all of the time that we have wasted, and all of the people who saw it since the beginning of forth year."

"Umph, do you know what this means Harry? Rita Skeeter was right for once and we didn't realize it, oh that shoots a hole in my self confidence, a big one."

He pulled her to him again and kissed her. They stayed like that snogging and touching and holding each other until Hermione fell asleep in Harry's arms with the most loving and contented look on her face that he had ever seen. He gently got up and carried her to her cot where he covered her before getting ready and going to bed himself. As he drifted off to sleep visions of that contented, loving look ran through his head and all that he could think about was how gorgeous she was.

It wasn't long before Harry was asleep and dreaming of Hermione and him first, talking and snogging under their favorite tree at the lake at Hogwarts, then walking hand in hand through a beautiful garden, then snogging on a beautiful white sand beach, but then it turned dark. Harry was chained to a wall with Voldemort seated laughing as he pointed his wand to a broken and disheveled Hermione who was lying in the middle of the room. Voldemort laughed and yelled _CRUICO_ and Hermione screamed out in overwhelming pain. Harry screamed as he felt so helpless, so guilty. Voldemort turned to Harry and said "thank you so much Harry for providing this mudblood bitch. She brings me such exquisite pleasure that I almost feel indebted to you, almost. Then he flicked his wand and released the curse. Too bad you won't be around to collect the debt even if I did choose to reward you. "Don't want to accidently kill the mudblood yet we're just starting to have fun now, it wouldn't do for her to die…yet that is." Harry screamed again, the thought of Hermione being tortured because of him was almost unbearable. Then, just as Voldemort yelled _CRUICO _again Harry felt someone take his hand and when he looked up he saw Hermione's gorgeous brown eyes looking at him full of love and understanding. "How can you be here? You are over there being tortured because of me."

"No Harry, this is a dream and your fears and imagination have created this place and that situation. That is not me and that is not Voldemort. Harry, I'm laying on the bed next to you. Now please let's make this dream one worth having;" and with that the scene changed back to the beach and the two of them were snogging again only this time Hermione was topless.

"Is this how you dream of me she said chuckling?"

"Most of the time you're wearing nothing at all, Harry replied blushing even though this was his dream."

"Well then she said, let's get rid of the bottoms too!"

Harry had just enough time to look startled when the bottom of her swim suit vanished along with his trunks just before Hermione pulled him to her and began a very passionate snogging session that seemed to last for hours and hours. "In-between moans, Hermione said now this is what I call a dream!"

As Harry opened his eyes he felt Hermione lying next to him. She had her head on his left shoulder snuggling into his chest. Her hair was lying across his chest and schoulder and he could smell what he knew to be Hermione. It was the smell of flowers and vanilla, he so loved that scent. He decided at that moment that this is the way that he wanted to wake up every morning from now on.

* * *

><p>Suddenly he was pulled back to the present by Hermione kissing him with all of the love and feelings that he had become used to over these many years. <em><strong>"I do love you so"<strong>_ he heard in his head while still kissing her.

Then when they pulled apart, Hermione was sitting on his lap and snuggling into his chest just like in the memory.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter #2:

**How could he?**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of the characters in the HP book series is owned by JKR. This story is for fun and no money is derived from it.**

As Hermione sat on his lap he held her tight in his arms and chuckled, "you know I had that dream, or should I say nightmare, again last night."

"Oh, and which one would that be dear?"

"You know very well which one it was, the one where we are seeing our kids off to Hogwarts only I couldn't hold you or kiss you because you are married to Ron and I'm married to Ginny. We would look at each other longingly knowing that we loved each other but couldn't do anything about it because of our families. It felt like my heart was being torn out through my chest."

"I shudder to think just how close it was to that becoming our reality."

"You know Mione, if Ron hadn't gotten jealous, hungry and mad that night we might have ended up marrying them (shudder). I never thought I would ever see the day that I would be thankful for Ron's bottomless pit that he calls a stomach."

"Harry, I don't understand what is causing you to dredge up all of this nostalgia all of the sudden?"

"I don't know. It just seemed to come over me. Hay, do you remember when Ron came back and how it went when we told him?"

* * *

><p>"Stab it! Stab it now, Ron," Harry said.<p>

As Ron raised the sword in his shaking hands a voice hissed up from the locket.

"Least loved always, by the mother that wanted a daughter… Least loved now by the girl that prefers your friend… Second best always eternally overshadowed... "

"Ron, stab it now!" Harry bellowed.

Visions of Hermione and Harry rose out of the Locket. They taunted him in Riddle's voice asking "why did you come back?" It said "we could do better without you because you're a coward and you are weak. How could you begin to compare to the great Harry Potter, the boy who lived?" The images continued to taunt, "who would ever want the likes of you, what had you ever done compared to the Chosen One, the great Harry Potter."

"Ron stab it, STAB IT!"Harry yelled, but Ron did not move. The image of Hermione entwined herself around the image of Harry and they began kissing.

Ron's face filled with anguish he raised the sword and brought it down destroying the locket with the long drawn-out scream from Riddle's soul.

Ron dropped the sword as he dropped to his knees. Harry came up and put his hand on Ron's shoulder and was pleased when it wasn't rejected. "You know mate we should probably talk," Harry said. At the same time he thought, _**"Mione, I'm out here with Ron and I'm going to tell him about us."**_

Harry heard in his head, _**"hang on, I'll be right out."**_

"_**No Mione, I think I should break the news to him alone, at least at first. If I miss something or say something wrong you can help me like this. I think it'll be easier on Ron this way."**_

"_**Okay, if you think it is best."**_

Ron didn't move or say anything, and Harry waited for him to recover. When Ron finally got up he turned to Harry and asked in a voice sad and so quiet that he almost didn't hear it, "is it true Harry? Is what Riddle said true?"

"No, no it is not, but there are some changes that we need to discuss." Harry replied.

"Then you both didn't want me to come back?"

"That's not true Ron. You're our best mate; of course we wanted you to come back. But, there are some things that we need to hash out."

"Like what Harry?" Ron asked in a small voice.

"Well first of all, although we have missed you terrible, Ron, you have got to stop these jealous, insecure outbursts. This isn't the first time that you turned your back on us, and you have to especially stop all of the hurtful things you say and do to Hermione. It has got to stop and right now. Second and this is the big one, even though Hermione and I didn't realize it, and we tried to hide from everyone, even ourselves, when you left we discovered that we are in fact soul mates and have been. When we finally declared our true feelings to each other there was this ancient magic that bonds our magic togeather along with our souls. It wasn't something that we planned or anything that we even thought of or suspected could happen."

"So it's true then, you stole my girl from me as soon as my back was turned! Riddle was right, now wasn't he?" Ron bellowed.

"There it is again, that jealous insecurity. Ron, if you cared for us even a small bit of what we care about you, you would at least listen before saying something stupid like that."

"Oh now I'm stupid huh? Well Riddle was right then!"

"Ron," Harry said exasperated, "just why did you come back?"

Ron was quiet for a long minute, and then he said, "I missed you guys, and I wanted to help and finish what I said I would. I felt bad about leaving."

"And how has that changed in the last two minutes? Is whatever you're thinking worth throwing away seven years of friendship over?" Harry asked feeling frustrated.

Again Ron was quiet for another long minute before saying, "I guess nothing has changed."

"Then why won't you let me explain then?"

"It's just that I feel so… so…"

"Insecure?" harry finished for him.

"Yah, I guess a bit."

"And jealous?" Harry added.

"Maybe," Ron whispered fidgeting around.

"Well are you going to stay and listen or are you going to leave again?" Harry queried.

"Yah, I suppose we should talk and explain everything."

"Good," Harry said as he conjured two chairs for them to sit on.

"I don't know quite where to start. Ron, you know how it drives you mental when Hermione and I finish each other's sentences, or when we know what each other is thinking with only a look, or that we seem to always know where the other is at any given time."

"Yah, its scary sometimes just like Fred and George. Why?"

"Well we refused to admit that it meant something more than friendship. So we tried to tell ourselves that it was just because we were such good friends. I knew that I loved her and she knew that she loved me but being as neither of us had siblings we thought that it was the way that sisters and brothers felt for each other. That is, in my case, until after Dumbledore's funeral. That's when I realized it was more than brotherly love. But I knew that you fancied her and I felt that someone like her could never fancy me, so I said nothing. I guess it was the same for her except I don't know when she realized it. Then after you stormed out and she was crying I tried to comfort her and reassure her that you would come back to her. Well, that's when she let it slip that you were right in your accusations, she said that she had always chosen me, even though she tried not to, because she felt that I could never ever fancy her, so she tried to develop romantic feelings for you, but it didn't work mostly because you kept hurting her feelings all of the time. Well I told her that I did have feelings for her, in fact I had loved her since that first day on the express. Then she told me that she had loved me since that first day and suddenly we felt and saw this bright, warm, pale gold aura engulf us for about two minutes. Then shortly we discovered that we could here each other's thoughts and enter each other's dreams or nightmares, and we also figured out that we share each other's magic." Harry thought _**"Mione maybe you should come out here for this part."**_

"_**I'm on my way love."**_

"What do you mean share magic?" Ron asked as Harry conjured another chair.

"It's kind of hard to explain. So I guess we'll just have to show you." Just then Hermione walked up and stood beside Harry.

"How are you Ron?" she asked with concern and trepidation in her voice.

"We were just sitting here talking," Ron replied apprehension in his voice.

"I know Ron; I heard everything that you said to Harry."

"You were listening, bloody hell Hermione. Why would you do that?"

"Ronald, weren't you listening to Harry, we hear each other's thoughts. I was way over there in the tent reading until Harry asked me to come over here."

"Harry never called you!"

"Oy, Ronald, you can be so thick sometimes, Harry passed his thoughts to me and suggested that I come over to help explain the combining of our magic. He did it in his head, that's why you didn't hear it."

"Harry, I guess it would save time to just do the Patronus," Hermione relayed ignoring Ron.

"I know that you two can do the Patronus charm, hell so can I. Harry taught us that fifth year."

"Ronald, just listen, would you please," Hermione said with exasperation in her voice.

"First of all, do you remember when Tonk's Patronus changed?"

"Yah, it was because she loved Lupin, right."

"Yes, and now my Patronus is no longer an otter, it is now," she took her wand that Harry had handed her and called out "EXPECTO PATRONUM" and her huge silvery doe stood there nodding his head, it is now a Doe. But wait, we're not done yet. Here Ron, take my wand and produce a Patronus." Ron took the wand.

He called out "EXPECTO PATRONUM" just whiffs of silvery mist but no Patronus. He tried again with the same results. "Well that doesn't mean anything; it's your wand now isn't it?"

"Yes very true Ron. Have you ever heard anyone using someone else's wand to produce a Patronus?"

"No, but a powerful wizard might be able to I guess."

"We both know that Harry is a powerful wizard and might be able to do it."

"Yes, but what does all of this have to do with the two of you?"

"Ronald, if you'll just be patient and be quite for a minute you'll see. Now where was I, oh yah, I know, Ron do you think that it is possible for someone, even a very powerful wizard, to call another person's Patronus and control it?"

"No, that's impossible!" Ron said indignantly.

Hermione passed her wand over to Harry and he called "EXPECTO PATRONUM" and her huge silvery doe stood there nodding her head waiting for Harry to give her instructions. "Go run around the pond and then the tent and then come back here," and with a flick of the wrist the doe was off and soon returned. Harry let it dissipate, and handed Hermione back her wand.

Ron looked on amazed. He tried to talk a couple of times but nothing came out then finally, after some deep breaths he said, "How did you do that Harry?"

"Ronald, are you still not paying attention? Even though we are two people as far as our souls and magic are concerned we are one person," Hermione said sounding more frustrated than before. My wand performs as well for Harry as it does for me and before his broke, his worked for me. I even produced his stag a few times," Hermione said with love and pride in her voice.

"So you see, Ron, what Harry and I have goes way to deep for us to ignore. If we did ignore it and had ended up with other people we would have been miserable and probably made them miserable too."

"Why do you always have to get what I want Harry, you have everything. Hermione is supposed to be my girl."

Harry saw how Hermione's face started to turning as red as Ron's ears. He noticed that she looked like she was going to explode, so he quickly thought _**"Mione, calm down. This is Ron; he'll need a few minutes to work this out. He doesn't mean anything by it."**_

"_**Harry, he seems to think that I am some kind of object that belongs to him. He doesn't care what is going on, and he doesn't even care about our feelings. All he cares about is for him to have something that you don't me!"**_

"It's not fair Harry, Hermione was supposed to be mine!"

"Ron, you really want what I have," Harry's voice began low and filling with hostility, "well start off by having your parent's killed when you are a baby, or growing up in a house where your family hates you and beats, abuses, and starves you for ten years. Then you can have the constant daily reassurance that you are nothing but a freak and shouldn't be allowed to associate with normal people. You can also have the constant reminders that the only good thing that you can do for everyone is DIE. Now let's add to the list the things that you want of mine. You can have the memory of the darkest wizard of all time trying to kill you as a baby when he killed your parents. This is the same dark wizard that is still trying to kill you and your friends. The same wizard that will keep on killing and destroying the only world that you have felt comfortable in until you become strong enough to murder him. Then you can live with the fact that everyone that dies is because you aren't strong enough to protect them. You can also live and try to sleep knowing that you have to murder someone or be murdered by them and if you fail the world is lost!" by this time Harry was livid and right in Ron' face. Ron had a very frightened, diminutive expression come across his face.

"I never wanted the fame and money. I don't deserve them, and I don't deserve such a wonderful, smart, loving, and perfect person as Hermione but you do Ron. Yes Ron you can have it all. You can have it because you deserve it, because you have had a family. You have two wonderful loving parents. Parents that provide for you, feed you, comfort you, take you for walks, take you flying, and who provided you with loving and caring brothers and sister that protect you and play with you and teach you that you aren't some piece of filth drug in on the sole of someone's shoe. Yes Ron, you deserve it all, you've given up so much, but I can't give you the first part, no one deserves that. So go on Ron and tell me just what I have taken from you. Tell me Ron, I'm waiting."

Just then Harry felt arms wrapping around his trembling body and he heard deep in his thoughts, _**"Harry love calm down. I'm here and I will always be here. Remember that I love you forever. Now calm down, it's like you said it is only Ron and he needs time to sort through everything."**_

"_**I can't take it anymore! I can't take the jealousy and insecurity. It's just too much,"**_ and he began to sob.

As Hermione turned Harry to face her and she hugged him tenderly Ron noticed that they were communicating in ways that he wished that he could but knew that he would never be able to.

Hermione looked over to Ron, while still holding Harry, and said softly, "Ron, you never really liked me like someone that you wanted to be your girlfriend. If you did then you wouldn't have done and said such hateful things to me. I believe that you just saw me as a convenient way to have a girlfriend and insure that Harry wouldn't get together with me. The sad thing about it is that you still don't realize how badly you hurt me and him. It would never have worked out between us even though I was willing to try. You see Ron, I had convinced myself that Harry would never consider someone like me romantically and I was afraid that no one else would either. So when you showed an interest in me that way I wanted it to work. The ironic thing about it is that at first, when we discovered our feelings, Harry was willing to forgo his happiness for yours, but now that the shoe is on the other foot you won't even consider his feelings. We need people and friends that we can care for and who care about us and since that clearly isn't you, well maybe you shouldn't have come back." Hermione turned with Harry still in her arms and walked toward the tent.

Ron remained still, lost in thought. He stayed that way for just under two hours. Finally, with a dawning look of realization across his face, he stood up, vanishing the chairs, and walked toward the area that his friends, if they'd still let him call them that, had went to. When he got close he called out to them and waited, he still couldn't see the tent.

Although he only had to wait a few minutes, to Ron it seemed like hours. While he waited he knew it was his fault as he thought the worst: they don't want to be my friend anymore. They will never talk with me again. They're going off to fight Voldemort and if they get hurt it will be my fault for not being there. Just then Hermione came to show him the entrance. They entered the tent not saying a word. Ron took the seat that Hermione indicated and they waited, the silence was deafening.

Ron finally started, "I know what I want to say but I can't think of how to say it." Hermione and Harry just sat there with a despondent look on their faces. "Let me first of all tell you how sorry I truly am. I have no excuses other than to point out that I must be mental. I know all of that stuff about how you grew up Harry, but I didn't consider that when I would get jealous. I know I should have, and I don't know why I didn't, and Hermione, I've known that you guys have had something special since the troll. I don't know why I do the things that I do. I truly don't want to but sometimes it seems that I can't help myself. I know that I have a good family and have things that a lot of people would kill to have, but when you're older brothers always get to do everything first and when they are each so good at different things that you can't compete or be best at anything. Then add to that your little sister gets all of the attention because she is the only girl! Then you have your best mates one of which is the smartest witch in the school, if not alive, and the other has money and he gets to do things like saving the stone or saving the girl or helping a falsely accused wizard escape or fight dragons or just be one of the best and most powerful wizards around, and gets his name in the paper so everyone wants to know him, well sometimes it eats at you. I'm not trying to make excuses but sometimes it just comes over me and it happens without thinking about it. I do know that I love you both and want very much to stay friends. I wouldn't blame either of you if you never wanted to talk to me again, but I would like to stay if you'll have me. Ron looked at his hands that he was ringing in his lap.

At first everyone was quiet. Harry thought, _**"Mione, what do you think?"**_

"_**Don't give me that Harry; you knew that you were going to forgive him the minute that he walked into the tent! Let's at least let him stew for a few minutes before we forgive him with some conditions of course," **_Hermione thought back to Harry.

"_**You're the best girlfriend in the world."**_

"_**And don't you forget it neither mister!"**_

"_**Do you think that he has stewed long enough now?"**_

"_**I think maybe he has,"**_ Hermione thought back to Harry.

"Okay Ron, but there are going to be some conditions. First and foremost, this is the last time that you turn your back on us or leave us. Second, you have got to get a handle on your insecurity and jealousy problem. Third, if you do feel insecure, jealous, or if anything else is wrong, even if the problem is with one or the both of us, you must come to us and talk about it. I can't imagine a problem that the three of us couldn't fix if we talk about them. And last, you have to realize that Harry and I are going to always be together, just deal with it. Now if you can live with those conditions then we will forgive you." _**"Was that okay Harry, did I leave out anything?"**_

Ron sat quietly for a few moments but then as a smile broke across his face he said, "That sounds fair, I can live with that, thank you. And again I'm sorry for everything."

Harry thought back, _**"No love, you did brilliant as usual."**_

"Wait a minute," Ron said sharply. "I've got a condition too. None of that talking to each other without saying anything, at least while I'm in the room with you. It's just rude, more rude than whispering."

Harry smiled and said "deal" while sticking his hand out to him. They shook hands and Hermione grabbed and hugged both of them at once.

Then Hermione turned to Ron and said, "Ron, let's not tell anyone about Harry and me communicating by thought just yet, this could give us a big advantage."

* * *

><p>"Yah, Harry that was a big day for all three of us. It shows just how close our friendship was to be able to withstand all of that. Now, looking back on it, I'm glad that it happened the way that it did. Sometimes I wonder if we would have gotten together in fourth year wouldn't have stayed as close with Ron?"<p>

"It was a good, long friendship, wasn't it? Hay, do you remember what they used to call us in school?"

"Don't you dare say it!"

"What do you have against the Golden Trio? I didn't care for it then but now I think it was an honor. You do realize that we did more in the first five years than most adult witches and wizards do in their lifetime.

"My hero, ooh, can I have your autograph big boy?"

"Oh stop that and give me another kiss or ten."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter #3:

**She Couldn't Help it!**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of the characters in the HP book series is owned by JKR. This story is for fun and no money is derived from it.**

Hermione pulled back a bit and whispered to him, "breathing is overrated anyway."

As she said that Harry moved his kisses down her jaw line to her neck and up to her ear.

She moaned as he sucked on her ear lobe. "God Harry, how can you still, after all of these years, ignite my insides like a volcano, I love you so much."

"Is this the way that you used to make Ginny feel, I wonder?" Hermione mused.

"Mione, you know that I only loved you and Ginny was just an attempt at feeling normal."

"I know Love, but that would go a long way in explaining why she acted that way."

* * *

><p>Harry woke up in a very familiar bed; it was his old bed in the dorm at Hogwarts and there was someone lying there beside him. He reached over and pulled her toward him until he noticed that it wasn't Hermione's scent, he immediately pulled back. After opening his eyes and looking down he saw Ginny. Ginny, what are you doing? Why did you take your jumper and shirt off? What's going on?"<p>

"I missed you Harry. Now that he is dead there is no reason to keep us apart. Come hold me."

"Ginny, where is Hermione?"

"Oh she's running around somewhere acting like a mother hen. You know that she tried to keep me out of here? I actually had to sneak in here when she went to the loo."

"Maybe you should have listened to her, and put your clothes back on! _**Mione, help! It's Ginny, I need you in here now." **_

"_**I'm coming love, she must have sneeked in when I wasn't looking."**_

"Harry, what's the matter? I thought that you would be happy to see me, to get back with me. What's going on?"

It was then that Hermione walked into the dorm, "Ginny, didn't I ask you to leave him sleep? What are you doing in here?"

"Hermione, Harry is a big boy who doesn't need a mother, and he happens to be my boyfriend! I have every right to be here! Now I suggest that you leave and get your own boyfriend if you can?"

"Ginny, don't you dare talk to Mione like that! And I am not your boyfriend. If you remember we broke up last year. Now, put your clothes back on."

As Ginny was buttoning her shirt she said, "Harry, everyone knew that you just broke up with me to protect me, but now that you-know-who is dead there is nothing keeping us apart. We can go back to the way that it was before."

"That wasn't the main reason that I broke up with you, the more time that we spent together the more I realized that you felt more and more like a sister not a girlfriend."

"A sister, you thought of me like a sister? Then what was that kiss at the burrows? You don't kiss your sister like that!" She shouted.

"Ginny, I need you to calm down. If you remember correctly, it was you that kissed me, not the other way around. And before you ask, I didn't say anything because I didn't want this happening. I needed to focus on Riddle not arguing with you."

"Calm down, calm down, I'll give you calm down," then she pulled her wand, but before she could do anything Hermione said "ACCIO Ginny's wand." The wand flew to Hermione's hand and she caught it and handed it to Harry. "I should have been there to help you but you wouldn't let me," cried Ginny.

Then Hermione looked at Ginny and said in a very low commanding voice, "I'm not going to let you hex Harry! I don't care who you are."

"You, you're the one; she's the one that turned you against me Harry! She never wanted us together.

"And just how were you going to help me Ginny, Riddle's dead and you still can't bring yourself to say his name!" Harry said annoyed.

"But Harry we were in love, and have been since the Chamber of secrets, you can't just throw that away."

"I'm not throwing anything away. We were not in love. You didn't even know me, you didn't want to. All you new and all that you cared about was that I was The Boy that Lived or The Chosen One. And you were fine with that but I wasn't. I need someone who knows and cares about me, just Harry. I don't want to be someone's hero; I just want to be someone's friend, companion and lover. I don't want to be what you want me to be Ginny."

"But Harry, you are a Hero. And you are my Hero."

Then for the first time Hermione spoke, "no Ginny, he is just Harry who happened to do heroic things. There is a big difference Ginny."

"I suppose you're the one that understands him, and you're the one that he wants," Ginny spat viciously.

"She **is** the girl or I should say woman, that I want, but more than that Ginny she is the one that I need. We are soul mates Ginny, and have been for a long time even though we refused to admit it to ourselves. I simply can't live without her," Harry stated softly.

"And I can't live without him," Hermione said as Harry came close and put his arms around her.

"You bitch, you slut, you whore, all of this time when you couldn't get a boyfriend of your own you had to sneak around and steal mine. You conniving, thieving little bitch. You're my boyfriend Harry, not little miss know-it-all's here, your mine, I've loved you for as long as I can remember."

Ginny walked around the bed towards the two, it almost looked like there was smoke coming out of her ears, and she raised her hand to slap Hermione, but, Harry's reflexes being what they are reached up and blocked it easily. Then she began flailing wildly trying to hit both of them. Harry grabbed her pinning her arms to her body. Ginny was struggling, kicking, and fighting to get loose.

Then Harry heard in his head, _**"when I start the incantation you need to let go of her and pull back away.**_

When Harry heard Hermione start the spell he let go. "Incarcerates" ropes materialized and bound Ginny head to toe. "Now maybe we can have a discussion," Hermione said softly while Ginny was still cussing and yelling and trying to get loose from the ropes.

Quit acting like a spoiled brat and pipe down or I'll do a full body bind on you, and then you won't even be able to talk only listen.

"Now that's better. Ginny, last December Harry and I realized that we both felt the same about each other. We both had been untruthful with our selves for a very long time and it was hurting each of us."

"Last year, after Professor Dumbledore died, I realized that it was in fact Hermione that I loved romantically and I had loved her from the moment that I met her. I knew that I had strong feelings for you, but the feelings were not the same as with Mione. Neither being loved nor having a sibling while growing up, I got the two feelings reversed. Where I loved Hermione and wanted to always be with her, with you it was more like I wanted to watch out and protect you like a brother would. I do love you Ginny but it is not the way that you want me to, and for that I'm sorry."

"You see Ginny, when Harry and I finally got around to declaring our love for each other we discovered that we were in fact true, honest-to-goodness, soul mates."

"Yes as we said the words we felt a warm flush come over us while we were bathed in a brilliant pale gold aura. It was soon after that we realized that we shared our magic and other things became clearer. Hermione's Patronus even changed from an otter to a doe.

"That doesn't mean anything, I'll bet a lot of peoples Patronuses change for a lot of different reasons," Ginny said unpleasantly.

"No Ginny, Dumbledore, Mad-eye, and you father all commented on how extremely rare it was when it happened to Tonks a year-and-a-half ago," Harry pointed out.

"Further proof would be the fact that Harry's wand recognizes me as much its owner as Harry and my wand recognizes Harry as much as it does me."

"That doesn't prove anything. I'll bet a lot of people can use other people's wands."

"Well let's just try a little experiment okay. Now if you promise to act responsible I'll vanish the ropes." Ginny nodded and Hermione got rid of the ropes.

"Here Ginny, take one of our wands." Ginny took Harry's.

"Now cast a Patronus charm," said Harry.

Then after three tries with only wisps of silver appearing she admitted that she needed her own wand to do it. "That's okay, I just wanted you to see that it doesn't usually happen with someone else's wand," Hermione stated.

Harry and Hermione switched wands, "even if it did work," Harry started, "you would conjure your own Patronus."

Hermione finishing, "do you think that someone could conjure another's Patronus?

"No, that would be impossible. No one can do that!" Ginny stressed.

"Now remember, my Patronus is a doe while Harry's is a stag," Hermione continued.

Then both teens said firmly, one at a time, "EXPECTO PATRONUM."

Almost instantly Harry's stag stood in front Hermione proudly nodding his head and pawing with his front hoof waiting for instructions, and only a few moments later Hermione's doe was standing in front of harry. "What do you say now Ginny?" Harry asked.

Ginny just stood there as the two Patronuses fawned, rubbed against, and preened each other. "I don't know what you have done to allow this to happen, but Harry is mine and will always be mine." Ginny said beginning to sob. "I don't care what you say, either of you!" her sobs turning to wailing as she ran out of the dorm.

Harry began to follow and Hermione stopped him and said, "Leave her; I think that she needs time alone to think."

* * *

><p>"Having the rest of the family support us while she wouldn't it broke my heart sometimes; she was my closest female friend. That two years it took for Ginny to come around was a long time, and there are times when I wish that we would have handled it differently don't you?" Hermione said. "She had such a crush on you; she really thought she was in love with you."<p>

"Well do you blame her; I'm just so bloody irresistible she couldn't help herself, now could she?" Harry said with a cocky smile on his face.

"I'm glad to see that you're not still full of yourself. I can get you another pillow or ten to hold up that unusually large head of yours, if you like?"

"Ha, ha I'm just pointing out the obvious here. When you combine my dashing good looks, utterly witty charm, debonair manner, sheer animal magnetism, and my remarkable world renowned prowess, and then you wrap it altogether with my being so humble can anyone fail to love me. The poor girl couldn't help herself, you can't blame her it was inevitable."

"Oh Harry I am so sorry." Harry looked at her with this self satisfied smile reaching his lips, "maybe you need a brick wall? Pillows, no matter how many, could never hold up that colossally large, thick, pompous head of yours, you prat!"

Harry looked at her playfully with a mock look of shock on his face and said, "**MRS. POTTER**, why you've cut me to the quick. You have fatally wounded me!" Then they both began to laugh uncontrollably.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter #4

**It was all Good.**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of the characters in the HP book series is owned by JKR. This story is for fun and no money is derived from it.**

"Do you ever regret not being with Ginny or Cho, or someone prettier than me?" Hermione queried reluctantly while snuggling into Harry's chest and tightening her arms around him.

"Mione, how could you even ask that?" Harry admonished. "After all of the years, and all of the memories that we have together I wouldn't trade a minute of our time together. When I do think back about the way that the situation played out, I am glad that it happened the way that it did. I couldn't imagine going one day without you by my side. You are extremely beautiful, and have always been, and I love you more each day that we are together."

"You are so good for my ego Harry, and I wouldn't have changed anything in our lives either."

"When you think about our accomplishments we have had a wonderful life a blessed life. Fate wanted us to meet, it was destined. Hell, destiny even sent us a mountain troll to make sure that we got together! We couldn't help but have a happy life."

"It was a happy life wasn't it? I made you happy didn't I Harry? I've always tried to."

"Look at all of things that you gave me: A wonderful home to come home to, one that I was proud to be part of and bring people to. It is a home so full of love that it made raising our family easy and enjoyable. It was the home that I had dreamt of my whole life." Harry went on, "then there are our children. You had six children and didn't complain once. You knew that I had always wanted a large family and you made that possible. And just think of how smart they all were, they got that from you, not from me. You supported everything that I wanted to do no matter how crazy. Look at your rise through the ministry, all on your merits to perform the job not cashing in on the fame. Even when running as the first witch to be Minister of Magic, and that also had to be on your own abilities to do a better job than anyone else you made me so very proud. Then after you retired from the ministry you came to help me out at Hogwarts. You were the best transfiguration teacher they have had; I believe you were even better that Albus, and Minerva."

"It was easy to be good with such a wonderful headmaster, and you were the best. You were much better than Albus. You were there the longest and you were responsible for most of the new curriculum and almost all of the renovations. We now have much better qualified witches and wizards because of you."

"Now wait just a minute, as deputy headmaster you were responsible for some of those changes, and then as my wife you were responsible for more of them and then as Minister of Magic you were responsible for even more. And then there is that primary school that you got started, it increased the knowledge of the first years more than anything else. So don't go trying to blow smoke up my pant leg.

"There is just no way that I could have been happier. You gave me the only two things that I had ever wanted, love and a family, and I've had more than my fair share. Mione, you are my life. As much as I love the children and grandchildren, I live for you and you alone."

Then they were quiet while they watched the sun set behind the mountains in each other's arms as they have done daily for the past year and a half.

Then Hermione said, "I sometimes wish that we hadn't lived quite as long we have… wait a minute, today is December 10, isn't it?"

"Yah I think son, why?"

"That's why you have been so nostalgic all of the sudden, Harry, it has been 200 years today that we have been together. Ron walked out on us on December 10, 1997, 200 years ago. Happy anniversary Harry, I you Love so very much."

"I love you too, my Mione" they sat there quietly until they fell asleep in each other's arms out on the patio on a cool winter's night never to wake again.

The End


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